Cameroon: Following up on the Technical Advisory Mission

In June 2011, UN-SPIDER conducted a Technical Advisory Mission in Cameroon following the request by the Government of Cameroon, represented by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Department of Civil Protection. The goal was to assess the use of space-based technology and information for disaster management and emergencyresponse in Cameroon, to identify potential areas where space-based technology and information could play a greater role, and propose recommendations on how to improve Cameroon‘s access to and use of space-based technology and information.

From 7 to 11 May 2012, UN-SPIDER supported a follow-up training in remote sensing for disaster management upon request of the UN-SPIDER National Focal Point for Cameroon. The training was conducted jointly with the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS). Some 25 participants from the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization (MINATD) and various other Ministries and Universities attended the training. In addition, UN-SPIDER and UNU-EHS funded the participation of five representatives from four other Central African States.

Trainers from the Regional Centre for Training in Aerospace Survey (RECTAS) and UNU-EHS carried out training sessions in French, using GIS & Remote Sensing software donated by Esri (ArcGIS 10 French) and the ILWIS Academic version. Besides sample imagery provided by RECTAS for the training modules, the group had access to recent very high resolution sample images over hotspots in Cameroon, courtesy of Digital Globe, Inc.

The training covered basic elements of remote sensing, GIS basics, simple data extraction and geo-referencing techniques, accompanied by various presentations and visual material on the use of remote sensing for disaster management. The training also aimed at raising awareness for existing mechanisms to access space-based information such as the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters and GMES.